Win a Scholarship to the Damn Fine Words Writing Course

This online writing course has been changing the game for business owners around the world for several years, and here’s why:

It’s designed to teach you effective writing skills and content-creation techniques that help you generate better business results, like new clients, a boost to your bottom-line revenue and more engagement with your readers.

It’s also designed to provide you with a wash, rinse and repeat writing system that cuts your writing time in half, making you twice as productive and far more confidence about the words you create.

Each time I prepare to open a new session of Damn Fine Words, I also open up a writing contest that anyone can enter – including you. You see, many people tell me that they’d love to register for the course, because if they could just get in…

They’d learn how to write better, more engaging website copy that draws in much-needed clients.

They’d create content that brings them results, instead of having to struggle constantly over what to write.

They’d gain much-needed confidence and feel excited about writing instead of agonizing over every word.

I want to help make that change happen.

The Damn Fine Words Writing Contest

You don’t have to be a writer-for-hire to enter. The contest is open to anyone – writer, freelancer, small business owner, solopreneur, entrepreneur – in any career field or type of industry.

This writing contest is a friendly competition where your sincerity, desire to learn, and motivation to succeed counts more than anything.

This contest isn’t about the quality of your writing so much as the quality of your determination… it’s about what you would do, if you could join the course and improve your writing skills.

Who Should Enter This Writing Contest

If you currently write content for your business and would love to be a better, faster writer who gets more results from your words, you’re in the right place.

If you don’t yet have a business but have an idea or are planning to start one within the year, this writing contest is also for you.

If you’ve just started your business and want better results, feel free to join in.

If you’ve been in business for a long time and just aren’t getting the results you hoped for, this writing contest would be worth a shot.

You can enter whether your writing skills are at the beginner, middle or advanced level. Again, quality of writing isn’t being judged.

English doesn’t have to be your first language, but you must be able to at least get by fairly well.

What You Can Win

The winner will receive a full scholarship to the September 2015 session of Damn Fine Words (retail value $1,599). The runner-up will win a 50% scholarship applicable to their registration for the September session (retail value $799.50).

Both the winner and runner-up will become full-access students who directly benefit from the course lessons, hands-on exercises, immediately applicable advice, and interactive members-only area.

Winners will also receive my personal support, mentorship and feedback throughout the entire duration of the course.

How to Enter the DFW Writing Contest

Entering the contest is simple. All you have to do is write an article or a blog post about this:

Why writing is important to your business success, and how Damn Fine Words could be the game-changer you need.

Your article needs to be specific, so pay attention to the details.

You could write about how becoming a better, faster writer would literally change your life and your business – and if you do, tell me specifically how.

You could write about how not feeling confident about your writing has affected your business already – and if you do, tell me specifically how.

You could write about what it would mean to your business to have your writing obstacles swept away forever – and if you do, tell me specifically what you’ll do when those obstacles disappear.

I want you to write about why it’s important for you to be in the Damn Fine Words writing course, and I want to see how this could change your life.

The Rules

The rules for entry are simple:

Your blog post or article should be at least 600 words. (This isn’t a brevity contest, after all.) Do keep it under 1,500 words, though.

Your blog post or article must be posted to a publicly-viewable location. No private entries will be accepted.

Come back here and leave me a comment that links to your post.

Pat yourself on the back.

That’s all.

No points are given for correct grammar or spelling. No points are given for fancy words or brilliant prose. In fact, there are no points given for the quality of writing at all.

I’m looking for two people whose businesses have a better chance at success because they committed themselves to improving their content-creation skills.

I’m looking for two people who are driven to succeed, who are ready to go the distance and who understand that this writing course could take their business to the next level.

I’m looking for two people who are dedicated to showing up every day and doing the work – people who are ready, willing and able to dedicate themselves to their self-improvement.

I’m looking for two people who will squeeze the course for every ounce of juice they can get and who will clearly do something with what they learn.

The Damn Fine Words writing contest closes on August 31 at 7am, eastern time zone.

I’ll select two winning posts and contact winners directly, so be sure to have a functional Contact page on your blog or website, or let me know how to get in touch with you by email.

Ready? Get writing!

Post by James Chartrand

James Chartrand is an expert copywriter and the owner of Men with Pens and Damn Fine Words, the game-changing writing course for business owners. She loves the color blue, her kids, Nike sneakers and ice skating.

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That seems to be an older post from February, so of course I wouldn’t be able to consider that for the contest. You’re more than welcome to write a new entry that responds to the criteria of the contest, though, and best of luck!

Here is my post in application for the Scholarship. It has turned out to be over 1700 words, I hope this is not a problem. Rather than cut my post down I have left it at this so that it expresses my full point of view – http://jingattiig.com/damn-fine-words-me

Thanks for participating in the Damn Fine Words writing contest. I sincerely admire your effort, and we all enjoyed reading your post.

Unfortunately, another entry for the winner and runner-up were selected by the panel of judges. I do hope you’ll still decide to join the DFW course this session; I think it’ll be very, very beneficial to help you reach your goals.

Registration will be opening tomorrow, but if you wanted to jump right in, you can register now. Just click here to choose your payment plan – we have three options available, so that might help: http://www.damnfinewords.com/payment-plans

Hope to see you there, and of course, if you have any questions, feel free to ask.
Cheers,

James Chartrand

Thanks for running the competition and allowing us all an equal opportunity to enter. Also, a big congratulations to the winners, whomever they may be.

You’re very welcome, Jonathan. It’s really important to me that people DO have a chance, regardless of their situation – I don’t want price to be a complete barrier, and I know that there are many people who deserve that shot at a scholarship, like yourself.

I think there’s huge value in just participating in the contest itself, to be honest. It’s often that step forward people need to put down their goals and dedication in writing, and in the past, I’ve often heard back from entrants who say, “You know what? I decided that day that I wasn’t going to let go of my dream, and I finally made it.”

Already taking action and am currently getting my certification with blackford centre.
I know the value of being “certified by” and displaying a badge on a website saying as much. Or a certification by diploma helps too, But, they also allowed me to get a diploma at my own pace. “I don’t think they understood, exactly, how fast I actually am 🙂 [Joined last month, and halfway through a year’s curriculum already and getting A’s and B’s, but mostly A’s]

But, their “Diploma in copywriting” isn’t the wealth of knowledge that only you teach via DFW… But it is a start.

I don’t want price to be a complete barrier

Again, thank you for the opportunity. And alas, as I said in my entry, it is an unfortunate barrier within my current situation.
But, thank you for your consideration, and I wish all who enroll the absolute best.

I really struggle with content structure and figuring out what it really takes to turn pro. Throwing up a website and some words easier than ever, but difference between average words and what really sells seems to be what your course offers.

Money is always tight when your struggling to get off the ground so your offer is the perfect opportunity for me to “Turn Pro”, as Steven Pressfield would say.

After reading the reviews for your Damn Fine Words course, it is clear you are helping people achieve their dreams. I know you can help me achieve mine too. Thank you for this opportunity to apply for the scholarships.

Whew! I sure have my work cut out for me choosing a winner – everyone wrote such great entries this year!

Well done, all of you, and I hope that just the very act of entering the contest brought value to each of you. You’ve thought about your goals, you’ve thought about what you need to get there, and it’s clear each of you are taking action… that’s the first step towards success right there.

I’ll be looking over each entry in close detail in the coming few days, and I’ll be in touch with everyone personally. In the meantime, best of luck to all of you!

This contest sounds like a fantastic opportunity for any person in business who want to improve their business or become more comfortable with business communications. I wish I had heard of it sooner. I have just began a copy writing business, and this contest would have been a great help to me. I will look for it next year.

I noticed that you use a TON of “super creative” punctuation techniques when drafting your emails and blog posts. Will you be touching on such techniques in your writing course? The main offender: the comma — which I have yet to learn all the subtle “nuances” of where to put it! Let me know!

Thanks for the compliments on my punctuation! Though I’ll be the first to admit I don’t much think about it… that’s the sort of thing that comes to me as naturally as breathing.

The course doesn’t cover punctuation or grammar, as that’s a whole different ball game, but it does cover style, tone, and reaching readers in a way that resonates with their emotions – which, as you’ve seen, can be pulled off with some super-creative techniques!

Hope to see you there; there are only a few short days before doors close, but do feel free to let me know if you have any more questions.

Start Your Novel

The Damn Fine Words writing contest is open to anyone - writers-for-hire, freelancers, small business owners, the self-employed, and entrepreneurs, in any career field or type of industry.
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